Rousseau

I still like Alves. I'd build the defence around him -- not dramatically, because he's only got a year or two left in him. I think he's solid enough; he just hasn't been protected enough from midfield.  

It's a few years too late, but I'm still shocked. 

I like the idea of having these young 'winners' around, but I don't understand why we're enthusiastic about that and not about a young tactician. These young German coaches are tactically excellent, but we're ruling them out in favour of someone who's won a few games for us? I don't quite get that. It's an invaluable quality and characteristic -- I'm all for that -- but I would like to see that tactical proficiency come first. 

I agree the practicable solution may indeed be a young, up-and-coming coach; I'm all for that -- if they can demonstrate tactical proficiency.

What about Cathro?  

33 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

Neither of you are funny. Can we just call it quits at that.

23 minutes ago, Darthter said:

Laurent Blanc appears to be available.....

Do Pampers make strips? 

(It's an old one, but a good one...)

Hummel? I don't think we can afford him: he's a German international...  

I don't care too much about the brand, as long as we get the best deal.

I'll wait a see if it's true, though. It was almost an off-the-cuff tweet, and 5 minutes later we've got a 3 year deal worth £15M. 

2 minutes ago, Soulsonic5791 said:

Forgot he had been appointed. Still, a club job over a national team gig?

Do you foresee a Rangers side going four games without scoring in Scotland?

 

I don't subscribe to Michael Laudrup or Ronald Koeman per se. Just thought I'd mention them; at least they are of a better quality that Mick McCarthy and some of the other names listed a few posts back.

I think he's out of our league.

Probably not, but he'd still need to hit the ground running, by winning games. I'm not sure he can do that; too set in his ways. 

Absolutely; it's nice to at least mention these guys, whether they're realistic or not. 

3 minutes ago, Soulsonic5791 said:

Fair comment re Ajax. The length of time afforded him in England and Italy would make it nigh on impossible to recreate success or far less put in the building blocks to achieve it in the short to medium term. Whether or not people saw through him or not is a different matter but I would imagine his 'Dutchness' might've been an issue at his last two clubs.

 

Speaking of Dutchmen, Ronald Koeman anyone?

Koeman's the Netherlands manager.

You need to hit the ground running; he didn't. He wouldn't get much longer here, if he goes 4 games without a win, nor a goal.

2 minutes ago, MrGaryValentine said:

Genuine question and not meant as a dig but would Micheal Laudrup even be mention if he wasn’t Brians brother?

 

Could you imagine if our board employed another manager from Qatar?

Of course. He's mentioned because of the work he's done at Brondby and Swansea.

Would FdB be mentioned if he wasn't Ronald's brother? Similar situation, but Laudrup has a better record, IMO. 

12 minutes ago, Soulsonic5791 said:

Bill, why does FdB not float your boat? Please don't say Inter and Palace. Apparently, the players at Selhurst Park turned on him because he was showing them all up at training. In Milan, he was apparently not allowed to do what he was hired to carry out in the first place i.e. politics behind the scenes. He had the measure of Rodgers in the Europa League and won the title in a country which is dominated by a handful of teams, similar to ours.

 

Why does that not appeal as opposed to hiring a Celtic fan for instance, which loads of people seem to want (obviously yourself excepted).

For me, FdB fit Ajax like a glove. He won things there because they were already set up to play that way; it's instilled into them -- it's where he learned it. From that success he's not been able to recreate it anywhere. There were external circumstances, but the fact is he's not been able to recreate anywhere; that's a fact.

@pete would be able to tell you more.

Micheal Laudrup would be a better shout: he's recreated his success at Brondby at other sides, like Getafe and Swansea (he's even won titles in Qatar, for whatever that's worth). 

2 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

 

Declan John? Where is he?

 

BTW, I saw the run-up to the OF game and there were clips of our stand-in captain Tavernier, banging in goals from various angles, including free-kicks et al. That made up for some of his at times lackadaisical defending. When we were up and running for a few weeks under Murty, we saw Tav and Candeias working together well and Tav getting to his own highest standards. Before that, and ever after the OF league game, he's been playing well within his own comfort zone (he's no competition at all). How many of his goals have come from penalties this season? How many decent free-kicks have we seen? Screaming shots from the edge of the area? Like those he had in his first season? What are they doing at training these last 10 months?

 

I sincerely hope we tie Cummings up soonish and play him alongside Morelos, rather than this one-striker-rubbish. We are not Bayern Munich, were any of the front three is able to unhinge a defence. Especially in a league like the premiership, where either you play against 6 to 8 defenders, or have two quality chaps around you making sure you don't see anything at all.

 

I don't think he good enough. He could be a decent back-up. 

4 minutes ago, buster. said:

A pertinent question might be......How does a prospective incoming manager view the squad in relation to demands/expectations and how much finance would be required to overhaul it to a 'satisfactory level'......The follow-up being, will that finance be available ? 

 

 

That can't be answered until we know the name of the new manager. 

As for finance, money will be made available -- as it is for any new season -- but I don't think it'll be enough for a major overhaul; I don't think it needs it, to be fair, just 4-5 key acquisitions. 

Again on MNF, Gary Neville looked at how Guardiola changed a fragile Man City by strengthening key areas. 

If we presume we need 2 players for every position, the players that could be/should be decent enough, are:

Foderingham | XX

Tavernier | XX - Alves | XX - XX | XX - XX | XX

Docherty | McCrorie - Dorrans | Jack - Windass | XX

Candeias | XX - Morelos | XX - Murphy | XX

(I've gone with 4-3-3 because it includes most roles we'd need -- one of those midfield players can play as a #10., for example.)

We could probably make do with Foderingham, but a commanding GK would be good -- Wes can be back-up...

Our defence is weak; we need several additions. 

Midfield, perhaps only needs 1 or 2 good acquisitions; added steel and creativity.

Our attack is good, but lacking in options. 

2 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

Some slipping discs in that spine.

It certainly needs strengthening! 

Just now, pete said:

Oh I believe they can but hopefully not at Ibrox.

Fair enough.

I think Dorrans is a decent player, who will hopefully see some good days at Ibrox.

I never rated Martin too highly; he can go.

8 minutes ago, buster. said:

More than anything,............we need a manager with the authority, credibility and backing to start building a team.

 

Until that happens we'll have a collection of individuals (some good players) winning some and losing some.

Yes, I agree. That's key. 

But we also need a bit of a clear-out, IMO. And, we do have a few good younger players there to develop a new spine; that was my point. Like you say, they have to be harnessed properly by a decent manager.

Gary Neville discussed goal-scoring, as a technique, on MNF last night. The premise was that Stirling has the pace and movement to be one of the best in the world -- as said by Guardiola -- but that he's not a natural kicker; he misses more than he scores. Neville was saying that Ronaldo and Henry were the same when they were young wingers; too nervous, inconsistent and poor with their shots. It took repetition, striking the ball time after time, to get them to the stage they reached: one the best goal-scorers in history.

Morelos is similar; he has a decent all-round game. He needs to get practising striking that ball; so he's not panicking, but striking it cleanly into the net. 

9 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

On 16/04/2018 at 06:53, RANGERRAB said:

World class ?? Tell Liverpool that

Whos done better than him at liverpool since the 80s?

Hollier, Benitez, Klopp...  

13 hours ago, pete said:

After Dorrans and Martin I am not sure I have much trust in our DoF to deliver anything

Was Dorrans not pre-DoF?

And Martin, I think, was more Murty; working with him before. 

They both fit the bill, though: Top professionals that have played at a good level. 

Martin has been piss-poor, as has Dorrans -- although not to the same degree, IMO -- but I still think they can be used better. 

Dressing-room arguments are healthy, but only if they're managed properly. I would expect a few heated words after that performance. 

However, I don't agree with senior players being able to undermine a manager. I don't expect and don't want Murty around for too much longer, but there is a way to put one's point across without undermining. It's happened before, and we supported the players. That was wrong.

We need a new core/spine. I think we're getting there, but we still need a lot more. Foferingham, Docherty, McCrorie, Jack, Tavernier, Morelos will/should be the new spine, as they improve and mature; hopefully over the next 5 years. We need more, though.    

The DoF should be lining up potential managers from now on; from a list that is cultivated to suit the way we want to play. 

I tried not to but I caught a clip of the first goal. I think there were around 7-6 Rangers player in the box, but he still gets a shot away... That's nothing to do with tactics or desire; it's just incompetence.

2 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Does it really make that much of a difference to all that to swap an attacking midfielder for a striker? (e.g. Windass for Cummings

 

I can definitely see that Murphy isn't your ideal left midfielder in a 4-4-2 and Dorrans not your ideal centre mid because both are probably more suited to more attacking roles.

Yes, I think so. With the role Windass is being tasked to play, we're kind of a 4-4-2 anyway. Putting a Striker up there changes dynamics. 

Like I said elsewhere, it's the manager; any set-up will be deficient, because he can't implement it properly. If Clarke sets us up in a 4-4-2 -- or a 4-3-3, like he prefers at Killie -- then we'd be better; the players would know what they are doing. 

I agree that those players are perhaps not naturally suited to those positions, but I think they're good enough to play their roles better if they're drilled better, and the players around them are supporting, and they just generally know their roles.